Trimming mechanism



y 3, 1947. v. J. SIGODA 2,420,331

TRIMMING MECHANISM 1 Filed April 2, 1942 1 Sheets-Sheet l 1N VENTOR V/ c TOR d 5/600/1 BY M A 7' TOR/VEX TRIMMING MECHANISM Filed April 2, 1942 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 YINVENTOR. V/c ro' d. 5/0001:

BY M

A TT'ORNEX y 3,1947. v. J. SIGODA 2,420,331

TRIMMING MECHANISM Filed April 2, 1942 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR. V/c TOR 1 S/GODA BY g A T TORNEX May 13, 1947.

v. J. SIGODA TRIMMING MECHANISM Filed April 2, 1942 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR.

V/ CTOR d. 5/6004 BY g A rro/ewfx Patented May 13, 1947 TRIMIVHN G MECHANISM Victor J. Sigoda, Great Neck, N. Y., assignor to Man-Sew Corp, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application April 2, 1942, Serial No. 437,339

Claims.

This invention relates to trimming mechanism and more particularly to a trimming or pinking mechanism for fabrics and other fibrous or textile materials which may be commercially employed, either as an independent unit or in combination with a sewing machine for synchronous operation in conjunction with the feeding and stitch forming mechanism thereof.

It is the general purpose and object of the present invention to provide certain important improvements in trimming or pinking mechanism of the type disclosed in Patent No 2,239,743, issued April 29, 1941, and my pending application Ser. No. 390,651, filed April 28, 1941, whereby the op eratingefliciency of such mechanism and the productive capacity of the machine will be materially increased.

In the issued patent above referred to, there is disclosed a rotary toothed cutter in which each tooth has two cutting edges which simultaneously engage the fabric material and in conjunction with a ledger blade have a progressive shearing cutting action on the material at each side of the V-shaped pinking cut from the base to the apex thereof. It is the primary object and purpose of this invention to provide such a mechanism with a novelform of rotary toothed cutter of such construction that between successiv intermittent feeding movements of the material, the cutter teeth operate thereon to first shear the material at one side of the V from the base to the apex thereof and then progressively shear the fabric at the opposite side of the V from its apex to its base. It has been found in practice that this method of forming the V-shaped pinking cuts results in a sharper and cleaner excision of the waste material'and greater accuracy and uniformity of the pinking cuts with a high quality finished product. This is particularly true in operating simultaneously upon a great number of superimposed plies of fabric.

A more particular object of the invention is to provide a multi-toothed rotary cutter of novel form so mounted and arranged that the orbital path of its cutting teeth lies in transversely and longitudinally obliquely angled planes relative to the ledger blade and the path of feed movement of the material being trimmed.

It. is another object of my invention in one provements to provide a, trimming or pinking mechanism for high speed operation as above characterized in which the several cooperating elements are of simple structural form, compactly assembled and arranged in a, single mechanical unit and the manufacturing cost of which will not be materially in excess of that of the patented machine above referred to.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in the improved trimmin or pinking mechanism and in the form, construction and relative arrangement of its several parts as will hereinafter be more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and subsequently incorporated in the subjoined claims.

In the drawings wherein I have illustrated several practical embodiments of the invention and in which similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the severalviews:

Fig, l is a top plan view showing one form of the trimming or pinking unit as mounted and arranged in cooperative relation with the stitch forming mechanism of a sewing machine.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof.

Fig. 3 is an end elevation.

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a plan View, a part of the sewing machine arm being broken away and illustrating a portion of the drive mechanism of the rotary cutting member.

Fig. 6 is a detail end elevation on an enlarged scale as indicated by the line 6-6 in Fig. 5, the

cover plate for the rotary cutting member being removed.

Fig. 7 is a detail plan View, a part of the support casting being shown in section and illustrating the particular mounting and arrangement of the rotary tooth cutter in cooperative relation with the ledger blade.

Fig; 8 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially on the line 83 of Fig. '7. r

Fig. 9' is a bottom plan view of the trimming or pinking unit and showing an alternative mounting of the ledger blade in the support base for yielding movement relative to the teeth of the rotary cutter.

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary detail elevation on an enlarged scale which more clearly illustrates the relation between leading edges ofthe'teeth ofthe rotary cutter and one of the cutting'edges of the ledger blade.

Fig. 11 is a sectionalview taken substantially in the plane indicatedby the line I l--! I of Fig. 10,

but showing the cutter tooth in an advanced position co-acting with the ledger blade.

Fig. 12 is a detail plan view of the ledger blade.

Fig. 13 is a face view of an alternative form of rotary cutter member, and,

Fig. 14 is an edge view thereof.

As herein disclosed, I have shown the rotary cutting member mounted and arranged together with the cooperating ledger blade and drive means for the cutter upon a common supporting structure or casting which may be readily mounted upon a suitable table or base over which the fabric or other material is fed to the trimming mechanism. For purposes of illustration, in the present instance I have shown said supporting casting, generally indicated at 5, mounted upon a sewing machine base or bed plate 6 having the usual hollow vertical pedestal l at one end thereof from the upper end of which the horizontal arm 8 extends over said bed plate and terminates in the conventional needle bar guide head 9. The needle bar, indicated at iii, which is mounted for vertical reciprocating movement in the head 9, is operated by mechanism well known in the art and including the horizontal shaft H extending through the arm 8 and the upper end of pedestal 1 and having the customary drive belt wheel or sheave i2 fixed to the end thereof.

The lower end of the presser foot bar l3 carries the presser foot [4. Preferably, I use a special form of presser foot formed upon one side thereof with a laterally extending flange [5 having a notch or recess 16 therein and which overlies the ledger blade to be later described, in vertically spaced relation therefrom as clearly shown in Fig. 8 so as to guide one or more plies of fabric or other material as it is fed over the surface of said ledger blade.

The supporting structure 5 includes a relatively broad base portion I? which is secured upon the upper surface of the bed plate 6 by suitable attaching bolts or screws, indicated at l8. Preferably, as shown in Fig. 7, these screws are engaged through elongated slots or openings H9 in the base ll whereby the support 5 and the mechanism mounted thereon may be bodily adjusted laterally on the bed plate 6 and with respect to the presser foot flange l5.

Integrally cast with the base I7 and extending upwardly and laterally at an oblique angle therefrom is the standard 20 having spaced side walls or flanges 2i and formed at its upper end with a cylindrical head or gear housing 22. As shown in Fig. 4, one side of this housing 22 is open and is adapted to register with an opening 23 formed through one side of the tubular arm 8 of the sewing machine. The upper and lower ends of a drive shaft 24, positioned between the flanges 22, are journaled respectively in the upper end of the standard 20 and a bearing extension 25 formed on the under side of the base I! and extending downwardly through a suitably formed opening 26 in the bed plate 6. To the upper end of shaft 24 the worm 21 is fixed and is in constant mesh with the teeth of a worm gear 28 secured upon the needle bar operating shaft H,

In the depending extension 25 of the supporting structure 5, an arbor or spindle 29 is mounted and rigidly fixed by one or more set screws 30. It will be noted that this spindle is obliquely inclined in intersecting relation with the plane of the base I! of the supporting structure, and also, from reference to Fig. '7, that the axis of said spindle is disposed at an angle transversely of the base l1. Upon the upper end of this spindle the cutter member 3! is loosely mounted for free rotation, said cutter member comprising a disk 32 having the hub portion 33 extending from one side thereof and to the end of which a worm gear 34 is suitably fixed. At its opposite side the disk 32 has a chamfered or inclined marginal face 35 upon which a number of spaced laterally projecting cutting teeth 3?, which will be more specifically described, are formed. The upper end of the inclined spindle 29 is formed with a retaining flange 38, limiting axial movement of the cutter member along said spindle to its normal operative position.

The teeth of the worm gear 3 1 are in constant mesh with the worm 39 on the lower end of the drive shaft 2 3. An annular disk id is keyed or splined for axial movement on the spindle 2G, and suitable anti-friction means may be interposed between this disk and the lower face of the gear One or more springs a l are suitably mounted in the part 25 of the supporting structure and bear at one of their ends against the disk 58 to urge said disk, the gear 3 5 and cutter member 3! upwardly and yieldingly resist axial movement of the same on the spindle 25 from normal position.

The part 25 of the supporting structure is formed with a cavity 42 which accommodates the gear 34 and the upper end of the spindle 25 is formed with a valved axial bore 43 from which radial ducts M extend to the periphery of the spindle and through which a suitable lubricating oil is supplied to the contacting sur aces of said spindle, the cutter member and the driving gear.

The cutter member may be formed with any desired number of teeth 31, and in this instance, I have illustrated four such teeth. Each cutting tooth is of substantially triangular shaped form in cross section, and the plane of the leading face of the tooth is disposed out of radial alignment with the axis of the cutter. The inner cutting edge of the tooth, indicated at 55, extends in a continuous straight line from the base to the apex of the tooth. The outer cutting edge 46 has a relatively short section 4! inclined outwardly from the periphery of the cutter disk and a section extending at an angle therefrom to the apex of the tooth. It will thus be understood that the cutting edges 45 and 46 of the tooth lie in a, common plane which intersects the axis of the cutter.

Above the base I! of the supporting structure, a protecting cover plate 48 for the cutter teeth 31 is provided, said plate having a suitably formed marginal flange secured by attaching screws to the support and extending over the open side of the recess therein and in which said cutter disk operates.

The bottom face of the base I! of the casting or supporting structure 5, at one side of the part 25 thereof, is suitably recessed to receive the lateral extension 49 formed on one end of the ledger blade 5!], said end of the ledger blade being rigidly fixed in said recess by a suitable attaching screw 5!. This ledger blade is positioned in parallel relation with the base I! beyond one side thereof and is formed with the cutting edges 52 and 53 respectively, converging inwardly to a meeting point from one edge of the blade. The cutting edge 53 substantially corresponds in longitudinal conformation with the outer edge sections 45 and 41 of the teeth of the cutting member 3|.

In the use of the mechanism above described, any desired means may be provided for feeding one or more plies of fabric or other material to the rotating cutter, and with which the operation of said cutter is properly synchronized to form thg Pinking cuts in immediate succession in the edges of the fabric plies. As herein illustrated, the standard four-motion feed mechanism of the sewing machine (not shown), is employed. Of course, the trimming or pinking unit is first properly adjusted to position the edges of the fabric plies relative to the cutting edges 52, 58 of the ledger blade and the teeth of the rotating cutter 35 which cooperate therewith, and is then rigidly secured. in such adjusted position by the screws 58. Upon the base ill, a fabric guide plate 69 of standard type is adiustably mounted and Which serves as a gauge in contact with the edge of the fabric material to regulate the depth of the pinking cuts.

As the fabric is intermittently fed in a rectilinear path to the cutting mechanism, the cutter it rotates in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 6 of the drawings so that the teeth 3? thereof are successively brought into contact with the fabric between successive feeding movements thereof and moved downwardly between the cutting edges 52 and 53 of the ledger blade. As shown more clearly in Figs. 10 and 11 of the drawings, as each tooth thus cooperates with the ledger blade to pink the fabric, the outer edge Q5 of the leading face of the tooth at the juncture of its relatively inclined sections first coacts with the inner portion of the edge 53 of the ledger blade, resulting in a progressive shearing action upon the material.

Upon reference to Figs. 7 and 11 of the drawings, it will be seen that the cutting edges 5 and i first progressively out the material at one side of the V-shaped recess in the ledger blade from the base to the apex thereof. The other edge at of the cutter tooth is at this time in convergent relation with the cutting edge 52 of the ledger blade and in the continued movement of the cutter tooth first engages the material at the apex of the V and then progressively shears or cuts the material to the base of the V. As the edge 36 of the cutter tooth moves downwardly in contact with the edge 53 of the ledger blade, the pressure on the tooth results in a slight axial bodily movement of the cutter member along the spindle 29 against the resistance of the springs ll so that a slight longitudinal shifting movement of the edge as of the cutter tooth with respect to the cutting edge 52 of the ledger blade takes place. This insures a clean and accurate pinking out, even when a great number of plies of fabric are simultaneously pinked or trimmed.

As indicated in Fig. 9 of the drawings, comparable results might be obtained by mounting the ledger blade for yieldable shifting movement, instead of providing for the axial movement of the rotating cutter as above described. Thus, the ledger blade at one of its ends may be provided with a relatively long angular extension 49' movable in the recess Ed in the base ll. One longitudinal edge of the extension 49' is provided with a longitudinally extending recess 55 to receive the overlapping edge portion of one arm of an L-shaped plate 55 which is mounted in a recess of the base ll. This plate is secured in fixed position by the screws 52. An additional screw extendin through an opening in said plate is threaded in the base and beneath the plate a coiled wire spring 59 surrounds said screw, hav ing one of its ends suitably attached to the plate as and its other end attached to the part 49' of 6 the ledger blade. Therefore, this spring will permit of the slight yielding movement of the ledger blade during the progressive shearing or cutting action between said blade and the teeth of the rotating cutter.

In Figs. 13 and 14 of the drawings, I have shown an alternative form of the rotary cutter in which each of the teeth has only a single cutting edge. The teeth 5i of the cutter are each provided with an outer cutting edge 52 which corresponds to the tooth edge 5% of the first described construction. Alternating with the teeth 5! and equi-distantly spaced therefrom, each tooth 63 is provided with the single inner cutting edg 64 which corresponds with the tooth edge 45 of the construction first described. It will be noted that the width of the effective cutting portions of these teeth is appreciably less than the width of the V-shaped recess in the ledger blade so that in the rotation of the cutter the cutting edges 62 and 6 i of the teeth will successively coact respectively with the cutting edges 53 and 52 of the ledger blade while the opposite edge of each cutter tooth will be spaced from and out of contact with the confronting cutting edge of the ledger blade as the tooth passes downwardly through the recess thereof. It will, of course, be understood that in this form of the invention, between intermittent feeding movements of the material, the latter remains stationary until two of the cutter teeth ti and 63 have successively operated thereon. The cutting and shearing action in conjunction with the cutting edges 53 and'til, first from the base to the apex of the V out and then from the apex to the base thereof, takes place in the operation of this form of r0- tary cutter in the same manner as when the cuts are formed by a single cutter tooth as first above described. Of course, the material feeding mechanism must be properly adjusted in accordance with the speed of rotation of the cutter member and the spacing of the teeth thereon so as to properly synchronize the intermittent feeding movement of the material with the operation of the rotary cutter.

The mounting and arrangement of the rotary cutter so that the orbital path of its cutting teeth is disposed in transversely and longitudinally obliquely inclined planes relative to the ledger blade and in divergently angled relation to the path of movement of the material in the direction of feed, in conjunction with the provision of the cutter teeth which coact with the cutter edges of the ledger blade in the manner above described to successively shear or cut through the material at opposite sides of the V-shaped pinking cut enables such a mechanism to be cperated at maximum speeds with a highly efficient and accurate cooperative cutting or shearing action between the rotary cutter and the ledger blade with a minimum of relative bodily movement between said blade and the cutter.

From the foregoing description considered in connection With the accompanying draw ngs, it

a will be appreciated that although the several improvements which I have made in my prior patented construction, are of a relatively simple character, they result in a material increase in efficiency in operation, particularly in the pinking of a large number of superimposed plies material. Practical tests of the present invention have demonstrated its capability of producing a high quality product with a minimum of waste on aquantity production basis. It will also be seen that the very simple mechanical fonn and compact assemblage and arrangement of the several elements of the present invention assures positive and reliable operation with minimum maintenance cost. Also, the production cost of the present invention will not materially exceed that of the prior mechanisms of this type to which I have above referred.

While I have herein shown and described several simple and practical embodiments of the present invention, it is, nevertheless, to be understood that the essential mechanical features thereof and the principle of operation might also be exemplified in numerous other structural forms. Accordingly, the privilege is reserved of resorting to all such legitimate variations in the form, construction and relative arrangement of the several parts as may fairly be considered within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In mechanism for edge pinking fabrics, a ledger blade having divergent cutting edges, a cutting member, means for mounting said member for movement in an obliquely inclined path relative to the plane of the ledger blade, said member having at least two cutting edges disposed in angular relation to each other and to the path of movement of said member to respectively coact with complementary cutting edges of the ledger blade throughout the length of said edges in successive order in the continuous movement of said cutting member in one direction, to first shear cut the fabric inwardly from its edge along a diagonal line, and thereafter shear cut the fabric along a divergent diagonal line from the inner end of said first cut to the fabric edge to form a V-shaped pinking cut therein.

2. In mechanism for edge pinking fabrics, a ledger blade and a power operated rotary cutting member, said cutting member and blade having complementary spaced apart cutting edges, the respective complementary cutting edges of the blade and cutting member defining opposite sides of a pinking cut and successively coacting with each other in the movement of the cutting member relative to the ledger blade to cut the fabric edge along reverse diagonal lines to form a pinking cut therein.

3. In mechanism for edge pinking fabrics, a ledger blade and a power operated rotary cutting member, said cutting member and blade having complementary spaced apart cutting edges, the respective complementary cutting edges of the blade and cutting member defining opposite side edges of a pinking cut and coacting at different times with each other in the continuous movement of the cutting member in one direction, to first shear-cut the fabric inwardly from its edge along a diagonal line, and thereafter shear-cut the fabric along a divergent diagonal line from the inner end of said first cut to the fabric edge, to form a V-shaped pinking cut therein.

4. In mechanism for edge pinking fabrics, a ledger blade and a multi-toothed rotary cutting member, each tooth of said member having two cutting edges and said ledger blade having spaced apart cutting edges complementary to the tooth edges, the said edges of each tooth coacting at different times with the respective complementary edges of the ledger blade, in the continuous rotation of the cutting member in one direction to first shear-cut the fabric inwardly from its edge along a diagonal line and thereafter shearcut the fabric along a divergent diagonal line from the inner end of the first cut to the fabric edge to form a V-shaped pinking cut therein.

5. In mechanism for edge pinking fabrics, a ledger blade and a peripherally rotatable cutting member, said member having a plurality of spaced teeth, each of which is provided with a single cutting edge, said ledger blade having spaced apart cutting edges respectively complementary to the single cutting edge of adjacent teeth of the rotary member whereby said cutting edges coact to first cut the fabric and define one edge of a pinking cut therein, and thereafter cut the fabric to define the opposite edge of the pinking cut in the continuous rotation of said cutting member in one direction.

6. In mechanism for edge pinking fabrics, a base, a multiple toothed rotary cutter to which the fabric is adapted to be fed in a rectilinear path and means for mounting said cutter on the base with the orbital path of its cutting teeth positioned in a plane which is longitudinally divergent laterally from the path of movement of the material in the direction of feed.

7. In mechanism for edge pinking fabrics, a base, a multiple toothed rotary cutter to which the fabric is adapted to be fed in a rectilinear path, means for mounting said cutter on the base with the orbital path of the cutting teeth disposed in transverse and longitudinal obliquely angled planes relative to the path of movement of the material.

8. In mechanism for edge pinking fabrics, a base, a rotary cutter to which the fabric is adapted to be fed in a rectilinear path, said cutter having a plurality of spaced cutting teeth and means for mounting said cutter on the base for movement of its cutting teeth in a vertically oblique path intersecting the fabric edge and about an axis transversely inclined with respect to the path of movement of the fabric.

9. In mechanism for edge pinking fabrics, a supporting structure, a ledger blade mounted thereon, a rotary toothed cutter cooperating with said ledger blade to pink the fabric material, means for mounting the rotary cutter upon the supporting structure for rotary and axial movement, and means yieldingly resisting axial movement of the cutter in the coacting engagement of its cutting teeth with the ledger blade.

10. A rotatable cutter disk for fabric trimming devices formed on its outer edge with a plurality of circumferentially spaced cutting teeth projecting laterally in an axial direction from one side face of the disk.

11. A rotatable cutter disk for fabric pinking devices having a plurality of spaced peripheral teeth projecting laterally from one side of the disk, each of said teeth having a single cutting edge, and the cutting edges on adjacent teeth adapted to make a single pinking cut in the material in the continuous rotation of the cutter disk in one direction.

12. A portable unit for pinking fabric materials comprising a supporting structure adapted to be mounted on a suitable base, a ledger blade attached to said structure to project laterally therefrom in the plane of said base, pinking mechanism including a rotatable toothed member mounted on said structure in cooperative relation with the ledger blade and having its axis disposed in vertically and laterally oblique angular relation to the ledger blade, and power operated drive means for said member mounted on said supporting structure.

13. A method of edge pinking fabrics and analogous materials which consists in intermittently moving the material in its own plane, and between successive intermittent movements thereof forming a V-shaped pinking cut in an edge of the fabric by first progressively shear-cutting the fabric inwardly from its edge on a diagonal line to define one side of the V and thereafter progressively shear-cutting the fabric from the inner end of said first cut outwardly to the fabric edge along a diagonal line diverging from the line of said first cut, to define the other side of the V-' shaped pinking out.

14. In mechanism for edge pinking fabrics, a ledger blade, a rotatable cutting member, said member and blade each having spaced apart, complementary cutting edges, and the orbital path of the cutting edges of said rotatable member lying in a plane longitudinally convergent to the ledger blade in the direction of rotation of said member.

15. In mechanism for edge pinking fabrics, a ledger blade, a rotatable cutting member, said member and blade each having spaced apart, complementary cutting edges, and the orbital path of the cutting edges of said rotatable member lying in a vertically oblique plane longitudinally convergent to the ledger blade in the direction of rotation of said member.

16. In mechanism for edge pinking fabrics, a

ledger blade, a rotatable cutting member, said blade and member having c0-acting cutting edges and said member having an axis of rotation intersecting the plane of the ledger blade and transversely inclined with respect to the feed path of the fabric fed to said cutting member.

17. In mechanism for edge pinking fabrics, a ledger blade, a rotatable cutting member, said blade and member having co-acting cutting edges and said member having an axis of rotation intersecting the plane of the ledger blade and which lies in a vertical plane disposed at less than a right angle with respect to the feed path of the fabric fed to said cutting member.

18. A portable unit for pinking fabric materials, comprising a one-piece supporting structure having a base and a standard rising therefrom, a pinking cutter movably mounted on said base, and actuating means for said cutter including a shaft mounted in substantially co-axial relation with the standard and provided with means at its upper end for connection with a source of power.

19. A portable unit for pinking fabric materials, comprising a one-piecesupporting structure having a base and a standard rising at an oblique angle therefrom, a pinking cutter mounted on said base to rotate about an axis disposed substantially at right angles to the longitudinal axis of said standard, and actuating means for said cutter including a member mounted on the standard and provided with means for connection with a source of power.

20. A portable unit for pinking fabric materials, comprising a supporting structure having a base and a standard rising therefrom, a ledger blade attached to said base, a co-acting pinking cutter mounted on the base for movement in a vertically oblique plane relative to the plane of the ledger blade, and actuating means for said cutter mounted on the standard.

21. A portable unit for pinking fabric materials, comprising a supporting structure having a base and a standard rising therefrom, a ledger blade attached to said base, a pinking cutter rotatably mounted on the base and having a plui0 rality of cutting teeth concentrically related to its axis of rotation and projecting laterally beyond one end thereof for coaction with the ledger blade, and actuating means for the cutter mounted On the standard.

22. In mechanism for edge pinking fabrics, a supporting structure, a toothed pinking cutter rotatably mounted on said structure for co-action with a ledger blade and movable relative to said structure along its axis of rotation, and means yieldingly resisting such axial movement of the cutter in one direction from a normal position.

23. A unitary pinking device comprising a supporting standard, a pinking cutter mounted on the lower end of said standard, actuating means for said cutter comprising a shaft journalled on the standard, and operating means for said shaft carried by said standard, including a driven part at the upper end of the standard adapted for connection with a source of power.

24-. In mechanism for decoratively cutting sheet material, a stationary cutting member having a plurality of cutting edges over which the material is adapted to be intermittently moved in its own plane, a movable member and means for mounting said member for movement in an obliquely inclined path intersecting the plane of the material in outwardly spaced relation from the edge thereof, said movable member having a plurality of cutting edges disposed in angular relation to each other and to the path of movement of said member to respectively coact with complementary cutting edges of the stationary member at different times and make a plurality of connecting cuts through the material in successive order during each interval of rest of the material and thereby excise a minor portion of the material.

25. In mechanism for decoratively edge-trimming superimposed plies of sheet material, a cutting station past which the sheets are adapted to be intermittently moved in their own plane in increments of uniform length, said cutting station having power operated means for excising minor edge portions of the sheets during each interval of rest and comprising a movable member having at least two cutting edges, respectively acting successively to cut through the edges of the superimposed sheets at relatively difierent times in the continuous movement of said member in one direction, the respective cuts extending from laterally spaced points on the edges of the sheets to a common juncture point inwardly spaced therefrom.

26. The method of decoratively cutting sheet material which comprises feeding the sheet in its own plane past a cutting station in increments of uniform length, and, during each interval of rest of the material, making a plurality of successively executed cuts through the material, with a following cut initiated at one end of a preceding cut and extending in angular relation thereto, to excise a minor portion of the material, such excisions cumulatively forming in the material a desired decorative design.

27. The method of decoratively edge-trimming sheet material which comprises intermittently feeding the sheet in its own plane past a cutting station, and, during each interval of rest of the sheet, making a single excision by making a, first cut extending from the edge of the material to a point inwardly spaced therefrom, and then progressively cutting the material from said point to and through the edge thereof at a point in laterally spaced relation from said first cut.

28. The method of decoratively edge-trimming sheet material which comprises intermittently feeding the sheet in its own plane past a cutting station, and, during each interval of rest of the sheet, making a single excision by successively executed progressive cutting operations through the sheet to and from a common juncture point inwardly spaced from the edge of the sheet and extending from said point in angular relation to each other through the sheet edge.

29. The method of decoratively edge-trimming a plurality of superimposed sheets of flexible material which consists in unitarlly feeding said sheets in the plane thereof past a cutting station in intermittent movements of uniform length, and, during each interval of rest of said sheets, excising a, minor edge portion of each sheet by first cutting through the edges of the superimposed sheets to a point inwardly spaced from the sheet edges, and then progressively cutting through said sheets from said point and outwardly therefrom through the sheet edges.

30. In mechanism for decoratively cutting sheet material, a stationary cutting member having divergent cutting edges over which the material is adapted to be intermittently moved in its own plane, means for excising a minor portion of the material during each interval of rest, comprising a, movable cutting member having cutting edges convergently projecting laterally from one side thereof, one cutting edge continuously rising from a heel to a point and a succeeding cutting edge reversely rising from said point to the heel, and means operatively supporting said movable cutting member in cooperative relation with the stationary member for movement in a path intersecting the plane of the material at a predetermined angle, to position the cutting edges of said movable member 12 transversely of the feed path of the material, at reverse vertically oblique angles of approach to the plane thereof in the movement of said member in one direction, whereby the respective complementary cutting edges of said movable and stationary members coact in succession throughout the length of said edges, to first shear-cut the material inwardly from its edge to a predetermined point and then shear-cut the material from said point outwardly through the edge thereof,

VICTOR J. SIGODA.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,909,346 Gruman May 16, 1933 1,998,030 Tate Apr. 16, 1935 2,093,071 Brussell Sept. 14, 1937 2,142,079 Weis Dec. 27, 1938 1,566,082 Dugins Dec. 15, 1925 2,038,857 Rutter Apr. 28, 1936 2,073,219 Moulton Mar. 9, 1937 2,243,776 Rotter May 27, 1941 654,024 Ryan July 17, 1900 745,965 Lyon Dec. 1, 1903 1,458,122 Cheetham 1 June 5, 1923 529,783 Cummins Nov. 27, 1894 2,031,545 Moulton Feb. 18, 1936 1,453,200 Stacho Apr. 24, 1923 1,962,023 Mann June 5, 1934 2,112,839 Gundersen Apr. 5, 1938 2,120,329 Henneke June 14, 1938 2,213,858 Gundersen Sept. 3, 1940 2,242,097 Weidauer May 13, 1941 

